By now, the last of the Thanksgiving turkey has been eaten, and the Black Friday crowds at the malls are just a bad memory. The crowds, the traffic and the stress are not how I think about this time of year.

For me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has always been filled with fond memories of dancing in the local production of Nutcracker. Yes, it’s Nutcracker season!
Just about every dance company, large and small in the United States will be  performing some version of this holiday classic. The version you probably have seen the most, is based on the 1954 New York City Ballet staging by George Balanchine. In fact, until this historic production, the Nutcracker was not the ubiquitous holiday classic we know and love.

Over the years, I’ve seen my share of Nutcracker performances and I’ve collected a fair share of holiday decorations based on the ballet.

This year, I’ve discovered a new collection of items by Vanessa Valencia, an artist, writer and photographer, living in the high desert of Arizona. She was commissioned by B Plus Printworks to create a special Nutcracker Sweet Collection of artwork. Any dancer is sure to get a kick out of the following gifts:

Mug Set – The set includes two porcelain mugs – one with characters from Act I and the other has characters from Act II. What a fun way to drink your hot cocoa, coffee, or tea!

Boxed Greeting Cards –  12 count greeting card set with envelopes featuring characters from Act I and Act II of The Nutcracker. The set comes in a beautiful keepsake box with satin ribbon tie.

Pins and Mirrors – 1” pin-back buttons and 3” pocket mirrors. Each highlights a character. Perfect for a dance bag or small memento for a friend.

Poster – Limited edition poster of all the beautiful characters and sweet things in Vanessa Valencia’s Nutcracker Sweet Collection. A great decoration for the holiday season.

I saw the mugs at Saratoga Dance, Etc. last week and immediately added them to my Christmas wish list!